Bocas del Toro

We loved Providencia so much that we decided not to spoil our impression of Colombian islands by visiting San Andres as we had heard that that island was more populated and touristy than Providencia. So we passed by the lights of San Andreas during our 48 hour sail from Providencia to Bocas del Toro in Panama. We motor sailed most of the way as there was not a lot of wind. The closer we got to the coast, the more frequent the rain squalls seemed to be. The rain didn't bring much wind, but just made for a soggy trip.

Bocas del Toro is an archipelago near the Costa Rican border. We are staying at the Carenero Marina which is on the island of the same name and is a $1 boat taxi ride away from the town of Bocas on Isla Colon. Bocas is something of a backpacker town with a lot of competitively priced hostels, cheap bars and restaurants that sell american style food. It's nice that we are not residing in the middle of all of that, even though I loved that sort of travelling 25 years ago!

We have been taking it very easy since we have been here. Some days we have taken a water taxi across to Bocas to do things in town and other days we have stayed around the marina doing things on the boat and trying to organise the next part of our trip. Yesterday we went on a chocolate tour. This involved catching a water taxi to Almerante and from there we were picked up and taken to a community that grows cacao trees and makes chocolate from the harvested beans. They have recently, under the guidance of a Peace Corps volunteer, started the chocolate tours. It was a fabulous tour with the local guide giving us lots of information about the ecology of the area and their permaculture practices as well as about the chocolate making process. The community run the cacao and tour business as a cooperative. We saw a sloth (very high up in a tree so very hard to make head or tail of), some lovely blue and black frogs and some tiny red frogs.

chocolate tour with Mauricio



House next to the marina



Like many of the places we have visited on this and other trips, one wonders whether the people (including the many ex-pats who build grand houses next to the water) think at all about sea level rise and what on earth our local council regulations would make of some of the structures.



restaurant ripening window



 

Stratocumulus and cirrus clouds...I think

getting a lift to town on the veggie boat

Providencia

Four days and four nights sailing saw us arrive in Providencia early one morning. Like exercise, it was good to stop doing it! We had checked the weather sites before leaving and it looked like we could expect solid wind of about 18kts and seas of 2.5 m for at least for some of the trip. What we actually got was never more than about 12 kts of wind and about 1m seas which made me very happy; although it was uncomfortable at times because it was beam on.  That´s wind and waves on the side of the boat for non-boaters. We both felt sea sick for a good part of the trip but enjoyed eggs and bacon for breakfast when we got in.

Providencia is a small island off the coast of Nicaragua, but is actually Colombian. It is low key, has one road that goes around it and has some nice snorkelling. They say the reef off Providencia is the 3rd largest in the world and as such a lot of people come here for snorkelling and diving. Unfortunately they have a problem with lionfish, an invasive pest that has arrived in recent years, and which is eating the native reef fish.

Brio at anchor in Catalina Harbour

The main town of Providencia is Isabel on Catalina Harbour. Everwhere we go we have an interesting checking in experience with customs, immigration and quarantine and this one proved no different. The agent, Mr Bush, advised us to come to the dinghy dock at 11am. We duly did this and after a while he and about 5 other people showed up, all with clipboards with forms to complete and all seeming to ask us the same questions. It was quite funny to be checking in sitting on some broken milk crates in the shade of a building on the dock, with a barrage of questions being asked.

Main street, Isabel, Providencia

 We spent our 8 days on Providencia snorkelling, looking at some amazing corals and fish, trying out the local restaurants, especially enjoying the very fresh seafood, trying to get internet access and visiting the beaches. We made friends with James and Victoria who were visiting from their home in Germany. With them we climbed to the top of the peak of the island. A local guide showed us the way. We were also accompanied by two dogs all the way to the top. Climbing the peak involved an early start for us as we had to row into Isabel from our mooring to be picked up by a motorcycle taxi at 6.30am. The taxi driver was also our guide and he was right in insisting the early start as it gets very hot by mid-morning. It took us about an hour and a quarter to get to the top and the views were good.

At the peak with Victoria, guide Imacio and James

Leaving Jamaica

After 15 days in Port Antonio, Jamaica we departed to start to make our way south to Providencia. It was a bit tricky to work out the best time to leave to get reasonable weather for the whole trip, but we managed to avoid bad weather as it turned out. First stop was Negril on the western end of Jamaica. We had decided to go there on the good advice of our friend Ed to make use of the shelter of the island from strong winds and from there we could keep an eye out for a good weather window to depart for Providencia. We sailed for 22 hours to get to Negril and then spent 2 nights anchored there in the north of Bloody Bay.

Ivan repairing sail, Negril



Typical Louise pose








Negril was much more touristy than what we were used to in Jamaica. We were anchored not far from a huge, purple resort. We swam into the beach one day and met an English couple who were there on a 2 week holiday and they explained that the resort was part of a chain that has exactly the same buildings and services at various locations around the world. This was the 3rd time they had been to one of these resorts and each time they didn´t leave the actual resort to explore the surrounding towns and culture. Such a different holiday experience to the ones we are usually seeking!

close encounter with a cruise ship on the way to Negril